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Social media is the cornerstone of many modern businesses' marketing strategies. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn and other platforms have become a multi-faceted tool for brands, serving as a content feed, community and customer service channel all at once.

While just about every business has a presence on social media these days, they're not all necessarily using it the right way. Some brands commit some serious social media blunders, like using the platforms solely for self-promotion, alienating customers with an ill-advised political comment, and automating their posts while failing to engage with followers. According toForbes Agency Council, here are 14 common social media faux pas your brand should avoid.

Members of the Forbes Agency Council weigh in.Images courtesy of FAC members.

1. Relying Too Heavily On One Social Channel

You can't build a sustainable business on top of another platform like Facebook that you don't control. At any moment, they can pull the rug out from under you and completelycripple you. You must be diverse with your marketing plan. Social is a great channel but it can't be your end-all. -Steve Cross,iSynergy

2. Too Much Self-Promotion

We are all guilty of talking about ourselves and our products and services on social. When brands do that — and I see it a lot — it is the epitome of why people hate branding and advertising on social. In reality, the content that companies post should seldom be self-promotional. No one cares about your product or service. They care about what you stand for. -Chris Dreyer,Rankings.io

3. Diving In Without A Clear Plan Or Goals

Oftentimes businesses jump onto social media without a plan, trying to do everything and anything without fully understand the "why." Clearly define the goals that are important to your organization and who your ideal audience would be to start mapping a strategy for success. Organizations often focus on vanity metrics, when it is more important to consider your brand's direction and ROI. -Lauren Shirreffs,2Social Inc. | Social Media Marketing Agency

4. Ignoring Micro-Influencers

When we think of influencer marketing, we think of well-known social personalitieswith an enormous amount of followers, like the Kardashians. But a more effective approach is for brands to think on the micro-level. Niche influencers have developed greater trust within their smaller but more engaged audiences. Micro-influencers' recommendations pack a powerful punch. -David Shadpour,Social Native

5. Alienating Customers With A Controversial Stance

When you become too political, you may alienate customers in the process. Taking a stand or position can be good in some cases, but just be conscious of the repercussions. The blowback can be overwhelming and can put a customer in a position where they need to pick a side (which may not be yours). -Jordan Edelson,Appetizer Mobile LLC

6. Spammy Short-Term Engagement Tactics

Social media isn’t going anywhere. Never choose quick wins over a long-term social strategy. Some brands have started using spammy methods that don’t reach an actual target audience, such as “follow for follow” or purchasing followers. Instead, allocate more resources to long-term social strategies, such as influencer outreach, special campaigns and paid social, to set up your brand for success. -Lisa Arledge Powell,MediaSource

7. Abandoning Efforts When You Don't See Immediate Results

Building your brand through social media takes time and business owners want immediate results. Platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and others are littered with what started as good intentions but ended up as abandoned efforts. When considering social media, you need to either commit to it or don't and realize it takes time to see success. -Cash Miller,Titan Web Marketing Solutions

8. Frequent Reposting Instead Of Original Content

Something I've seen in the influencer marketing space is brands trying to almost programmatically buy influencer content through reposting rather than creating their own content. That defeats the purpose of influencer marketing, which is to create native content that is truly authentic and aligns with your brand. -Eric Dahan,Open Influence

9. Joining Platforms Without A Good Business Reason

Don’t add channels simply for the sake of having them. Be strategic with the platforms you join and think critically about the best platforms for your business. Ask yourself:Is there a need? Are my peers here? Is my audience here?Do I have the time to build and maintain the channel?If the answer is yes, add away. If not, focus your energy on existing platforms. -Nicole Mahoney,Break the Ice Media

10. Trying To Build Your Business Directly On Social Media

Social media is a fantastic source of prospects and customers, but it's a terrible place to do business. You don't "own" those vanity counts that indicate your following — the social platform does. The only opportunity to reach people is to buy access. So, use those properties to drive people back to your site where you can capture a mobile phone number or email address. -Douglas Karr,DK New Media

11. Overdoing Automation

Automation is a very valuable tool, but overdoing it, especially on social media, can be a big mistake for your brand. It’s always important to mix up the frequency of your posts and the content that you're posting. Otherwise, you’ll just sound like a robot. Understand your audiences and who you want to target so you can increase your awareness, reach and traffic. -Solomon Thimothy,OneIMS

12. Having A One-Dimensional Presence

Don't be one dimensional, especially if that single dimension is pitching. Be engaging, interesting, humorous, controversial (whatever defines your brand best) and be that to your audience. Your products and services can be dripped, not shot through a cannon. -Michael Mothner,Wpromote

13. Failing To Focus On Conversations

We still see businesses talking at their customers rather than talking to their customers. Social media done well fosters engagement and cultivates conversations. That’s difficult to achieve if you’re simply telling people things instead of engaging them in thoughtful discussions. Of course, with the changes to Facebook's News Feed algorithm, even more emphasis is put on promoting engagement. -Matthew Jonas,TopFire Media

14. Doing Social Media For Its Own Sake

Social media for social media’s sake is simply a horrible waste of resources, time and potentially beneficial content. Many brands don’t need every social channel but think they do to become relevant. Also, avoid the strings of posts about products, product features or info. A thoughtful content strategy focuses on the customer, not the company. -Kathleen Lucente,Red Fan Communications

Forbes Agency Council is an invitation-only, fee-based organization for executives in successful public relations, media strategy, creative and advertising agencies. Find out if you qualify at forbesagencycouncil.com/qualify. Questions about an article? Email feedback@fo...